Controlling-spring for vehicles.



N0- 830,454. PATENTED SEPT. 4, 1906.

J. H. SAGER.

CONTROLLING SPRING FOR VEHICLES. APPLICATION FILED no. no, 1905.

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Inventor:

WW4??? Q UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JAMES H. SAGER, OF ROCHESTER, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR TO J. H. SAGER COMPANY, OF ROCHESTER, NEW YORK.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Sept. 4, 1906.

A li tio fil d December 20,1905- Serial mi. 292,598.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, JAMES H. SAGER, of

Rochester, in the county of Monroe and State j of New York, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Controlling-Springs for Vehicles, which improvement is full set forth in.the following s ecification and s own in the accompanying rawings.

My invention is. a double-acting controlling-spring, preferably .of coiled wire, for wheeled vehicles generally, it being designed more particularly for use on the heavier class of vehicles, as automobiles and freight-wagons, to modify and control the injurious and at times dan erous bounding or jumping of thebody of the vehicle when moving ra idly over roads that are rough and uneven. on while speeding an automobile, for example, the wheels strike an irregular s ot in the road and are thereby suddenly lifted, a severe strain is suddenly brought upon the springs supporting the load, acting to flatten or compress them, and the immediate return of the s rings to their formersha e or curvature wil frequently throw the'lEody of the car violently u ward, not only endangering the springs an their fastening with other parts of the vehicle, but also disagreeably olting and annoying the occupants of the car. It is mainly to remedy and overcome this articular difficulty and prevent the upwarii throwing of the body of the car that I have thought out and produced my present invention.

Springs known as auxiliary springs have been used with elliptical and other principal springs of vehicles to receive and sustain a .part of the severe compressive action'the principal springs are at times subjected to, and so aid in supporting the load carried;

but such auxiliary springs only aid the principal springs in the matter of supporting or sustaining the load carried and do not in any way act to modify or control the violent recoveries of the principal springs or prevent the u ward throwing of the body of the car and t fie passengers, frequentlyresultin in violent shocks and dangerous bumping o the axles, all'of which dangers and difficulties I aim to modify and prevent by means of my present invention.

The main aim and object of the invention herein shown and described is to construct suitable springs, preferably of steel wire, and

so place them at convenient points between the running-gear and the frame or body of a car or vehicle as to prevent the body from being thrown upward by the resilience of the principal springs in their recovery after being suddenly compressed or strained on account of the wheels assin over inequalities or rough spots in t e roa -bed.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be brought out and made to appear in the following specification and the novel construction more particularly pointed out in the appended claims, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, which, with the reference characters marked thereon, form a part of this specification.

Figure 1 is a side elevation of a portion of the frame of an automobile and single elli tical spring, showing my improved contro lingspring in place thereon. Fi 2 is a rear elevation of the parts seen as mdicated by ar-' row in Fig. 1, the vertical section being as on the dotted line at .the point ofthe arrow. Fig. 3 shows the controllin -spring in side elevation connected with a double elliptical principal spring, the two parts of the elliptical spring being in central vertical transverse section. Fig. 4 shows the controlling-spring connected with the axle and the frame lndeendent of the principal springs of the ve- 'cle, parts being broken away and vertically sectioned through the axis of the s ring. Fig. 5 is a plan of the lower spring-holder shown in Fig. 4. Fig. 6 is a plan of the lower springholding plate-shown in Fi 2, parts being broken'away and the clampolthorizontally sectioned just beneath the head. Figs. 2 to 6, inclusive, are drawn to a scale'largcr than that of Fi 1.

.In the drawings, A, Figs. 1 and 2, represents a portion of the frame of an automobile, or it may be a freight-wagon or other vehicle, of ordinary construction, and B a single elliptical s ring of common make held beneath the ame A.

C is my double-acting controlling-spring of steel spiral wire. These controllingsprings are preferably made with reduced conical ends and when in place on a vehicle occupy vertical positions, the ends being held b shortbolts or fasteners a to adjacent parts of the vehicle, as clearly shown in Figs. 1 to 4, inclusive.

In Figs. 1 and 2 is shown a single elliptical main or principal spring B beneath the frame when the car is light and without load, said spring C being brought into a normal state or condition of idleness only when the body of I the car with an average load presses hard down against the principal spring B and fiattens its form or curvature. From this it will be understood that a sudden upward movement of the axles D from any cause, tendin momentarily to further flatten the ellipticsfi springs B, would be opposed by all the springs B C; but in their recovery an instant later the resulting upward rebound of the body and the load would be instantl op osed and i controlled by the springs pul g ownward 7 upon them, acting in a reverse manner or directl opposite to the manner in which they acte a moment before when resisting the downward pressure upon them. This reverse action or downward ull of the controlling-springs 0 begins, as it will be understood, at the instant the loaded body in its rebound after being abnormally depressed reaches the oint or relative level at which the springs stand neutral or idle, which position or level is, as previously stated, the natural relative position of the loaded body u on the princi a1 springs, as when standing idle. The vehic eis provided with such a number of the controlling-s rin s as is found necessary, and their com ine downward pull, as stated, serves to catch the upward-bounding body and prevent it rising far above its natural level, back to which it falls with an easy movement, and the vibration ceases. Particularl are these controlling-springs desirable an necessary on the more recent high-power touring-automobiles with which rapid runs are frequently made over country roads that are rough and uneven. quently occurs in such'cases, as is well known by tourists, that the rough spots in the roadbed are so s aced as to act isochronously against the w eels, causing the vibrations to rapidly augment and increase in violence until the pounding of the axles is unbearable and dangerous,'necessitating an unwishedfor quick lowering of the speed. These controlling-springs, simple inform, but disposed as stated, serve to modify and neutralize this pounding of the bod ing of the automobi e over rough roads without danger to the parts or discomfort to the passen ers, this boundin 0f the car, if uncontrol ed, frequent ly lea "mg to the breaking of the transmission rod or gear, the crankaxle of the engine, the chain and other parts, besides the occasional bursting of a tire. One

It fre-.

an permit rapid speedof these controlling or catch springs C is shown in Figs. 1 and 2, as previously stated, connected between a single elli tical spring and the frame of the vehicle an in Fig. 3 as employed between the two members of a double elliptical spring B; butit is "here pointed out that these controlling-s rings need not necessarily be associated wit any othersprings of the vehicles. Fig.4 shows a controlling-spring placed between and connected with the axle D and the frame A independent of all other springs, the controlhng-springs being disposed in every case with reference to the articular build or lan of the automobile an placed anywherew ere most convenient between the running-gear and the superincumbent body or parts connected with said running-gear and body. The sprin s being thus placed between these upper an lower main parts of the vehicle, that move vertically toward and from each other when jolting; act to bring the body back to its normal relative place at all times whether below or above said place.

When attached to a double elliptical spring B, as shown in Fig. 3, the controllin -spzing C is at the middle or widestpart of t e elliptical spring, over the axle, and acts between the upper and lower'members of said elliptical spring to directly effect or control its vertical dimension. The springs B and C are constructed and connected in such manner that their forms or positions of idleness do not harmonize or agree, the idle point of the former spring being above that of the latterthat is to say, if the spring B be in its neutral form or idle the spring 0 will-be strained. or out of natural form, and if the spring C be in its natural form and position of rest the spring B will be under a stress and out of natural form. If, to further specify, the

spring B be without superincumbent load, it wil normally assume a form broad at the middle, drawin the s ring G into an abnormal elongated i orm; ut if the spring B be gradually loaded it will proportionately flatten at the middle, allowing the spring 0 to return toward its normal length and form and, finally fully. recover or reach its form of idleness as the load on the spring B is increased. A further increase of the load will com ress the spring C and be met by the com ined action of both springs, and if while both springs'are depressed by the load the latter be gradually lessened the spring C will again reach its neutral 1point or form of idleness and thence act wit the load against the principal spring B by ulling downward.

There is no time uring the actions or movements of the two springs B and C when both are simultaneously at rest or idle. The actions of both springs are in both directions from their respective'neutral points, alternately pushing and pulling; but the middle movements of the springs take place successively and are at no time simultaneous. On account of these contrary actions of the combined springs the minor vertical sprin s are enabled to check and control the ordinary bounding of the body of the vehicle, as stated.

What I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

-1. In combination with the main sup orting-spring of the body of a Wheeled ve icle,

an endwise-compressible secondary spring disposed at right angles to and connected at its ends with said main spring; each spring having a form of inaction said forms occurring in succession during the movements of the springs and lateral rests for the anviliary spring, with means connecting the ends of the spring with the rests.

2, In combination with the, main sup ort ing-spring of the body of a wheeled ve icle, an endwise-compressibl'e secondary spring disposed at right angles to and connected at its ends with said main spring said secondary spring acting at intervals with the load to com ress the main spring and lateral rests for t e auxiliary spring, with means connectingI the ends of the sprin with the rests.

n witness whereof if have hereunto set my hand, this 16th day of December, 1905, in the presence of two subscribing witnesses;

- JAMES H. SAGER.

Witnesses:

E. B. WHITMQRE, A. M. WHIT oRE.- 

